A gaming system includes an electronic gaming machine (EGM) located within a defined zone of a gaming venue, a transmitter configured to output a first unique identifier, and a server including a processor and a memory storing instructions, where the instructions cause the processor to receive, in connection with a request at a mobile terminal to transfer funds to a gaming wallet accessible at the EGM, a communication from the mobile terminal including the first unique identifier, determine, based on the received first unique identifier, whether the mobile terminal is within the defined zone, and transmit, in response to determining whether the mobile terminal is within the defined zone, a signal to the mobile terminal indicating whether the mobile terminal is within the defined zone.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A gaming system comprising: a beacon positioned at a first gaming device of a plurality of gaming devices in a gaming venue, the beacon configured to transmit a first unique beacon identifier to be received by a mobile device; and a server comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions and a plurality of unique beacon identifiers, each unique beacon identifier being stored in the memory in association with a gaming device identifier identifying at least one gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive the first unique beacon identifier from the mobile device; perform a lookup of the memory using the first unique beacon identifier, the lookup identifying a first gaming device identifier stored in the memory in association with the first unique beacon identifier; and transmit a response signal to the mobile device based on the lookup, the response signal enabling the mobile device to determine a location of the mobile device within the gaming venue.
2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to control a transfer of funds to the first gaming device initiated at the mobile device based on the response signal.
3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein the transfer of funds is a transfer of funds to a gaming wallet accessible at the first gaming device.
4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first gaming device comprises: a display configured to display a wagering game; a credit input mechanism including at least one of a card reader, a ticket reader, a bill validator, and a coin input mechanism; and a player tracking module, wherein the beacon is located within the player tracking module.
5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: determine, based on the lookup, that the first unique beacon identifier received from the mobile device matches a first unique beacon identifier stored in the memory; and determine a first location zone of a plurality of location zones stored in the memory that corresponds to the first unique beacon identifier.
6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the response signal indicates whether the mobile device is within a gaming zone of the gaming venue.
7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the beacon transmits the first unique beacon identifier to the mobile device over a first wireless communication network, the server receiving the first unique beacon identifier from the mobile device over a second, different wireless communications network.
8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is a short-range beacon configured for one-way transmission of the first unique beacon identifier.
9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is configured to transmit the first unique beacon identifier to the mobile device by a Bluetooth signal, and wherein the server receives the first unique beacon identifier from the mobile device over a wireless internet network.
10. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is configured to transmit the first unique beacon identifier to the mobile device by a wireless internet signal.
11. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the beacon is a first beacon of a plurality of beacons located within the gaming venue, each beacon of the plurality of beacons being configured to transmit a unique beacon identifier capable of being received by the mobile device, wherein each unique beacon identifier of the plurality of unique beacon identifiers corresponds to at least one gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: store a plurality of unique beacon identifiers, each unique beacon identifier being associated with a gaming device identifier identifying at least one gaming device of a plurality of gaming devices in a gaming venue; receive a first unique beacon identifier from a mobile device, the first unique beacon identifier being initially transmitted from a beacon positioned at a first gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices; perform a lookup of using the first unique beacon identifier, the lookup identifying a first gaming device identifier stored in association with the first unique beacon identifier; and transmit a response signal to the mobile device based on the lookup, the response signal enabling the mobile device to determine a location of the mobile device within the gaming venue.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is configured to control a transfer of funds to the first gaming device initiated at the mobile device based on the response signal.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the transfer of funds is a transfer of funds to a gaming wallet accessible at the first gaming device.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: determine, based on the lookup, that the first unique beacon identifier received from the mobile device matches a first stored unique beacon identifier; and determine a first location zone of a plurality of location zones that corresponds to the first unique beacon identifier.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the response signal indicates whether the mobile device is within a gaming zone of the gaming venue.
17. A mobile terminal comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions, the processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a unique beacon identifier from a beacon positioned at a first gaming device located within a gaming venue; transmit the first unique beacon identifier to a server, the server storing a plurality of unique beacon identifiers each in association with a gaming device identifier of a plurality of gaming device identifiers, each gaming device identifier identifying at least one gaming device of a plurality of gaming devices in the gaming venue; and receive, after transmitting the first unique beacon identifier, a response signal from the server, wherein the response signal is based on a lookup of the plurality of gaming device identifiers using the first unique beacon identifier; and determine a location of the mobile terminal within the gaming venue based on the response signal.
18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control a transfer of funds to the first gaming device initiated at the mobile terminal based on the response signal.
19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to: determine whether the mobile terminal is within a gaming zone of the gaming venue based on the response signal; and control a transfer of funds to the first gaming device based on the determination.
20. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the beacon transmits the first unique beacon identifier to the mobile terminal over a first wireless communication network, the server receiving the first unique beacon identifier from the mobile terminal over a second, different communications network.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
February 2, 2024
May 27, 2025
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.